Why?
by Emily Rai
Summary: Why did Mickey leave the Alternate World? Pre-Slash


"Why did you really leave the alternate universe?" Jack asked after they had dropped Martha off at her apartment where Tom, her fiancée had rushed out throwing his arms around her.

It's over for me there; I lived the life of another man for years. I can't do it anymore. It was great at first before Rose came, I got to know Pete and we rebuilt Torchwood along with the help of this guy Jake. After a while Jake and I got pretty close yeah, I moved into his flat after my gran died. He was the best thing that ever happened to me," Mickey said chocking slightly as he spoke surprised when Jack wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Something happened didn't it, at your Torchwood, something that took Jake away?" Jack asked quietly he could see the TARDIS up ahead and didn't want to speak to loudly incase the Doctor was around nearby and could hear them.

"Yeah, there was this hole that didn't get quite closed after Canary Warf, it didn't lead to another world like we hoped, we studied it for ages but the readings on the inside of the hole just kept coming up blank. So we figured it was harmless ya know? We all knew it was there but we didn't pay it any attention until a bloody Cyberman managed to crawl out!"

"Did, did they try and take over again? Were you able to close the rip?"

"Yeah we closed it all right. It snapped shut as soon as that one Cyberman had made it through it should have been easy to escape it since there was only one of them and it hadn't fought for more than a year but in all that time it had been in the void it had just been sitting and building up energy, waiting until it could strike. Pete was the target since he was the head of the agency but Jake shoved him out of the way and got hit with a mega blast from the stupid thing…"

"Oh Mickey," Jack gasped stopping in the middle of the deserted street and turning to face the other man. "I'm so sorry."

"Yeah me too. I can't help feeling guilty, it should have been me that shoved Pete out of the way. I was closer I should have saved him I knew that if I didn't Jake would try and do it but I was being stupid because we were fighting. About some stupid insignificant thing I can't even remember now other than he died thinking I hated him." Mickey sobbed as tears began making their way down his cheeks.

"No I'm sure he knew how much you cared about him, how could he not? I bet he died knowing you loved him with every fiber of your being because nobody else in the world would get angry about some silly domestic thing than somebody that loves you more than anything in the world." Jack said pulling the other man close and rubbing his back soothingly wincing inwardly as he saw the Doctor step out of what he assumed was Donna's house talking to an old man and looking very sad.

"I can't even remember the last thing I said to him Jack! He tried to kiss me before we left for work and I turned away from him and now he's gone and I'm never going to see him again…"

"I know it's hard Mickey, trust me I know. There was this accident a while back, back just before the Doctor regenerated into the form he has now. When we were on that godforsaken game station after the Doctor sent Rose home I died. I died and then she brought me back to life and ever since then I can't die. I managed to teleport to Cardiff but I landed a hundred years before now. I've outlived so very many of my friends I can't even begin to tell you. For more than one hundred years I've been watching people I care about be killed and there's been nothing I could ever do to stop it." Jack murmured as he continued to hold the man.

"You too eh? Imagine us the only two people alive that can never die. Trust me I tried after Jake was gone. Shot myself in the head I did and woke up the next morning covered in dried blood without a single scar. I'm not sure when the change happened all I know is the other Torchwood employee's found out about it and went crazy they wanted to lock me up and start testing me, Pete bought me enough time to transport out with Jackie but warned me that I shouldn't come back because he couldn't protect me." Mickey muttered giving a watery chuckle as he rested his head on Jack's shoulder his nose pressed against the man's neck.

"Two men with all of time and nowhere to go; Might as well go nowhere together," Jack said quietly resting his head on top of Mickey's.

"Might as well, and who knows maybe we'll have a couple of adventures with a crazy alien that changes his face." Jack agreed easily.

"Maybe but not quite yet I don't think, I'm not ready to travel just yet I just want to feel alive again and I never felt alive with him I just felt...ignored."

"I will never ignore you Mickey Mouse!" Jack said pulling the other up to stare him in the eye.

"And I will never leave you behind Captain Cheesecake," Mickey countered with a small smile before pressing their lips together in a soft kiss.


End file.
